In the simulated construction site.

Director Gao, clad in a black Taoist robe, sat cross-legged in mid-air, his robe gently swaying in the wind. The four characters “Construction World” on his chest glowed faintly.

He looked at Zhang Yu before him, a look of approval on his face. “This year, your sophomore year, you’ve performed exceptionally well, both in your studies and your work,” he said.

“Your performance during several business trips was particularly impressive; you handled everything beautifully without being ostentatious.”

“It was all thanks to the opportunities you provided, Director Gao,” Zhang Yu replied.

Director Gao continued, “Opportunities are something you seize for yourself. Back when Ten Thousand Laws University was just starting up, if I hadn’t taken the chance to become a teacher, I might still be working on construction sites.”

“Of course, there’s nothing wrong with construction sites, but the university offered me much broader horizons.”

Zhang Yu nodded slightly, continuing to listen attentively to Director Gao’s advice.

Director Gao went on, “Sometimes I wonder, on this path of immortal cultivation, how much money is enough? It’s never enough, Zhang Yu. Spirit coins are never enough to spend.”

“You’re still young, and you’ve only just reached the Foundation Establishment stage. Your current achievements are merely your starting point.”

“Stay calm and keep earning money steadily. At least earn another 1,000 spirit coins. Given the current market… 1,000 spirit coins should be enough to last you until the Golden Core stage.”

Listening to Director Gao’s guidance, Zhang Yu repeatedly affirmed.

Director Gao nodded in satisfaction, seeing that Zhang Yu was obedient and showed no signs of arrogance despite his excellent achievements.

He had seen too many students become conceited after achieving success, losing their groundedness. That was why he took this opportunity to give Zhang Yu some pointers.

Director Gao continued, “Speaking of earning money steadily, steadiness is even more important than the earning itself.”

“Some people might get rich overnight, but if their cultivation and realm can’t control that wealth, they’ll eventually lose it.”

“Don’t be like them.”

“Although I am the director and you are a student, I need to know my place, and you need to know yours. Never try to earn money you can’t control. Even if such money enters your account, it’s not truly yours; it’s just something others have temporarily placed with you.”

Zhang Yu’s heart stirred again, and he thought, “Is Director Gao talking about Ping Han? Is he worried I’ll follow Ping Han into currency speculation?”

Director Gao indeed intended to warn Zhang Yu, lest he also get into currency speculation like Ping Han.

“In the upcoming military certificate exam in October, if Ping Han hasn’t lost money, he’ll very likely secure the military certificate.”

“At that point, I’m afraid many more people will want to imitate Ping Han’s currency speculation.”

Director Gao glanced at Zhang Yu in front of him and thought, “I need to give this kid some extra ‘vaccination’ too, so he doesn’t impulsively jump into currency speculation.”

After giving Zhang Yu some advice, Director Gao casually asked a few other questions.

“How are you finding the Golden Silk Jade Disk?”

“Is Wen Wuya still in contact?”

“Regarding the Pharmacology Department, if there’s an opportunity, try to sell a few more orders, or recommend other students from our department. There are many students in our Civil Engineering Department who can sell seeds.”

As he spoke, Director Gao also sent Zhang Yu the usage rights for the cultivation technique he was going to teach that day.

“The third marvel of the Seven Civil Engineering Marvels is called the Earth Control Divine Transformation.”

“This martial art involves sensing earthly energy, using one’s own magical power to activate the dynamics of the earth, and combining it with martial arts moves to achieve the effect of earth control.”

“However, this technique, placed as the third marvel, has become the foundation for activating the Minor Triad.”

“Most students, once they master it, rarely use it independently.”

Director Gao then summarized the key points of the Minor Triad, which he considered the crucial part of today’s lesson.

“The venerable individual who created the Heaven Kunlun Mountain Shifting Divine Power was an exceptional genius from ancient times.”

“He didn’t actually devise any ‘Seven Civil Engineering Marvels’; rather, with a single stroke, he created the Heaven Kunlun Mountain Shifting Divine Power.”

“However, later disciples felt that this technique was too profound, difficult to teach and learn. So, after much contemplation, they divided it into five parts. By cultivating these five slightly simpler techniques, one could naturally master the Heaven Kunlun Mountain Shifting Divine Power.”

“Later still, to allow Foundation Establishment disciples to also cultivate this technique, someone further split the most difficult of these five techniques into three: the Xuanhuang Mountain Suppressing Seal, the Great Wild Mountain Shifting Force, and this Earth Control Divine Transformation.”

At this point, Director Gao sighed with emotion, saying, “It’s precisely because the Heaven Kunlun Mountain Shifting Divine Power was simplified piece by piece that, for a time, more and more people cultivated this technique.”

“With countless cultivators innovating over generations, this technique kept pace with the times, growing in power day by day, and remains a military-grade martial art to this day.”

“Unlike many supreme martial arts of the past, which either faded into obsolescence due to too few inheritors and lack of maintenance, unable to keep up with the times, and were eventually eliminated…”

“…or had too high a barrier to entry, being too difficult to cultivate, ultimately abandoned due to lack of cost-effectiveness and became museum exhibits.”

After his reflections, Director Gao proceeded to teach Zhang Yu the cultivation method for the Earth Control Divine Transformation.

Over an hour later, Director Gao nodded in satisfaction as he watched Zhang Yu strike out with his palm, his magical power and the earth’s energy interacting to stir up a patch of sand and mud.

Zhang Yu’s talent for martial arts continued to impress him that day, especially his calm and unassuming demeanor after mastering the technique, showing no trace of arrogance. This pleased him even more.

“Alas, if only Ping Han had Zhang Yu’s steadiness, he wouldn’t be in such a state.”

Director Gao spoke up, “You have mastered the Earth Control Divine Transformation to level 1. Next, I will teach you the method of the Minor Triad…”

Following Director Gao’s instructions, Zhang Yu circulated his magical power. A moment later, he felt the operational paths of the three techniques — the Xuanhuang Mountain Suppressing Seal, the Great Wild Mountain Shifting Force, and the Earth Control Divine Transformation — combining perfectly.

As he simultaneously activated the power of these three techniques, a vast magical force condensed from his Dantian, drawing forth a terrifying power from between heaven and earth.

However, the next moment, the powers of the three techniques revealed a sense of incompleteness. The terrifying power from heaven and earth merely trembled slightly before completely losing connection with Zhang Yu.

Only the earth beneath Zhang Yu’s feet, as he clasped his hands together, caused a pair of giant hands formed from mud and sand to rise and converge before him.

“That terrifying power from heaven and earth must be the Earthly Fiend Gravity, right?”

“It’s the power that can only be truly manipulated after mastering the Heaven Kunlun Mountain Shifting Divine Power.”

“The Minor Triad, however, can only control the earth beneath one’s feet, manipulating its metals and minerals.”

Through Director Gao’s instruction, Zhang Yu also understood that the power of the Minor Triad depended entirely on the level of the three techniques.

For instance, even though he had cultivated the Xuanhuang Mountain Suppressing Seal and the Great Wild Mountain Shifting Force to level 20, since the Earth Control Divine Transformation was only at level 1, the Minor Triad could only exert power equivalent to levels 13 or 14.

“To increase the power of the Minor Triad, I still need to raise the level of the Earth Control Divine Transformation.”

“Besides the level, how much effect the Minor Triad can exert… also depends greatly on how it’s used.”

The next moment, Zhang Yu’s magical power circulated, his hand seals shifted, and the earth beneath his feet undulated like ocean waves.

An earth giant, 8 or 9 meters tall, suddenly burst forth from the ground, spreading its arms as if letting out a silent roar.

Then Zhang Yu exhaled, and the golden Qi, transformed from the Grand Unity Golden Liquid Pill, streamed towards the earth giant, instantly forming a hammer and a shovel in the giant’s hands.

The Grand Unity Golden Liquid Pill was now within Zhang Yu’s body, allowing him to exhale it at will, shaping it into various forms as needed.

Next, another pair of arms grew from the earth giant’s back, one of which caught Zhang Yu’s Sky-Azure Cloud-Gathering Pouch.

Gazing at the four-armed earth giant holding tools in two hands and the Sky-Azure Cloud-Gathering Pouch in another, Zhang Yu’s mind stirred slightly. With one hand pressing down and the other pushing up, his hand seals transformed again.

The earth giant, which had just been standing tall, suddenly split into numerous smaller earth figures that appeared before Zhang Yu.

Zhang Yu repeatedly experimented with various operations of the Minor Triad, thinking to himself, “With the Minor Triad, my working methods now have many more variations.”

“However, facing different environments, what kind of work methods to use… still requires much more experimentation.”

Director Gao, observing Zhang Yu’s various attempts, nodded with a smile, thinking, “Although Zhang Yu has only just mastered the Minor Triad, and his range of operation isn’t large yet, his control is exceptionally refined. Can he really create all sorts of forms so quickly?”

September.

On the 668th-floor construction site.

Zhang Yu’s hand seals shifted, and streams of mud and sand transformed into human figures, beginning to work all around.

Zhang Yu was using this work opportunity to earn money while practicing his cultivation techniques.

With each activation of the Minor Triad, the Earth Control Divine Transformation was also activated, conveniently allowing Zhang Yu to practice this technique.

In addition to the mud and sand figures, the Earth-Suppressing Seal, Earth Fiend Bottle, and Sky-Azure Cloud-Gathering Pouch floated above Zhang Yu’s head, each operated by Mo Tianyi, Zhao Tianxing, and a member of the Ying family, respectively.

Furthermore, another member of the Ying family was manipulating the Golden Silk Jade Disk behind Zhang Yu’s head.

These two members of the Ying family were Ying Xin’s great-grandfather and great-great-grandfather.

Zhang Yu remembered how Ying Xin introduced her family members…

Ying Xin: “Senior Brother, both my great-grandfather and great-great-grandfather are in their prime working years. After all, if they don’t work hard to earn money, they’ll die, so their work ethic is absolutely beyond reproach. They’re dedicated and hardworking; I guarantee they won’t disappoint you.”

Ying Xin’s Great-Grandfather: “Student Zhang Yu, rest assured, we are seasoned civil engineers with extensive construction experience. We will never hold you back.”

Ying Xin’s Great-Great-Grandfather: “We understand the rules. All important projects, like the civil engineering competition, are opportunities for us to build our reputation and resumes. No matter how much you pay, I’ll give you a 15% kickback.”

Upon hearing the unsolicited offers from the great-grandfather and great-great-grandfather, Mo Tianyi and Zhao Tianxing also grew nervous, fearing they would be replaced. They, too, each offered a 15% kickback.

Zhang Yu looked at the four diligent soul cultivators, who hadn’t said much but were already caught up in this internal competition, and thought to himself, “I didn’t even make any demands, and you’re already competing amongst yourselves?”